An 80 year-old former factory machinist has told the High Court he felt like the man who won the lotto and lost the ticket after he found out his late sister had left €2.7 million to charity in her will.

Joseph Dee of North Circular Road in Dublin brought a legal challenge to the will after he and his brother were each left €45,000 by their sister Mary Coffey from Emly in Tipperary who died at the age of 87 in November 2005.

The court heard two months before her death, the former nurse sold very good farmland in Tipperary at the top of the market for a very high price and missed the effects of the financial crisis by having the money held in bank accounts.

Her estate was subsequently valued at €3.5 million. She had no children and was predeceased by her husband.

Joseph Dee applied to have the will condemned on grounds that his sister was extremely easily led and had received bad advice from her solicitors about her will.

He has lost his challenge as High Court President Nicholas Kearns is satisfied Mary Coffey was of sound mind when she wrote the will in 2004.

The judge described it as a very unfortunate case brought by an ex factory worker who is retired and lives alone on the North Circular Road in Dublin.

He noted that Mr. Dee seemed significantly embittered by this whole experience.